The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-08-20

1t was very pretty picture-a per
feet harmony in blue-and-gold-tha
Lucian Lisle saw through the swayine
passion vines that garlanded the front
porch, as he swung open the gate, one
afternoon, on the edge of September.
Nell was sitting in camp chair-rock-
er, her blue satine dress matching her
starry eyes, and both toning with the
blue passion flowers, while her hair
was a golden trap for the sunbeams
that slanted through the heavy leaf
age. ,a
'And is this the little cousin that
knew years ago, in Boston, when I was
a rough hobble-de-hoy, and she the
daintiest little maiden that ever stepped
out of fairy-tale p he said, smiling
upon the pretty vision.
Nell smiled thanks for the laughing
compliment, and held out a cordial
little palm.
Then Mrs. Graham was called from
the kitchen, where she was vainly try
ing nj ns nst1Sss ysiss5 ths Is esaaa
tea-cake.
'You look so warm and tired, moth
er. Now just let me whisk on a ging
ham dress and 60 and make the tea
cakes and stir up the snow custard !
begged Nell, when Mr.. Lisle had been
shown to his airy chamber, overlook
ing sweep of red clover where the
bee buzzed in honey making multi
tudes.
oh, Nell, you'll break my heart 7
sobbed Mrs. Graham, a tear or two
mingling with the drops of perspiration
that beaded her crimson face.
So Nell, with sigh, agreed to con-
tinue her part of pretty do-noth-
ing.
That evening Mrs. Graham stole
away to have chat with Sally Bean, a
plump and jolly old maid, with turn
for matchmaking, who lived next
door.
'It's working like charm, Sally
she said, delightedly. They're sing
ing together, and he's looking at her
as if he couldn't take his eyes off her
Well, my Nell's every bit good enough
for him She is singing like an angel
tonight. and looks as sweet as vio-
let /; and l guess he thinks SO, too.-
Now, if she'd done as she wanted to,
and 'whewed' round making cake and
butter, and seeing to gathering the
grapes and late peaches, I guess he
won't look at her twice. If girls only
would learn that their mothers know
best L she concluded, with sigh for
the faulty of girlhood generally, and
pretty Nell in particular.
4 told you it would work as slick as
a ribbon said Miss Bean, waving a
huge palm-leaf fan with an air of mod
est pride.
BY which it will be seen that the
two ladies had carefully planned Nell's
line of action, with an ulterior object
in veiw, which they had not disclosed
to the pretty girl, for whose worldly
advancement they were laying their
match, making heads together.
And nothing whispered to them
that nothing worth the winning is Won
by deceit, idleness and affection, and
that their hopes would have stood g
far better chance of ful6llment had
Nell been allowed to show herself a:
she was-a charming, cultured, ener.
getic girl who was not ashamed to.
That night Lucian held soliloquy
over the conundrum his charming cous
in presented.
'To love, or not to-that is the ques.
tion. Somehow 1 feel irresistibly at.
tracted towards her, and yet what is
she after all but pretty, heartless but,
terfy? Mrs. Graham has not very good
health, yet she has this fruit-farm tc
superintend, besides butter-making and
indoor work. And evidently Nell has
nothing to do with work except tc
show her contempt for it. How
could love her if she only had heart
enough to share the burden with hel
overworked mother =
Then he recalled Nell's sweet face as
she sung the dear old ballads that he
loved.
And then he saw her scarlet lips
curve in contempt when he spoke oi
the beauty of the prairies, and heard
her light laugh of scorn and flippant
reply, ooh, I don't know anything
about grapes except to eat them J
when he had questioned her concern
ing their heavy fruited grapery.
And so the see-saw of admiration
and repulsion continued.
Nell was playing her part all too
we'll.
But she was not any happier than
Lucian during the three weeks that fol-
lowed.
When Daisy, Clover and Sweetheart.
her three brown-eyed Alderneys, lowed
lonesomely for her coming; when the
great crimson clingstone peaches were
bruised by careless picking; when two
of her customers refused to take the
wheyey butter of Gretchen's making
she chafed inwardly, and longed te
take the helm once more.
She dimly suspected, too, that II
spite of Lucian's evident admiration
he secretly despised her; but she wa
too proud to try to win his favor b.
throwing off her mask.
And SO two lives might have beer
spoiled, had not one impulsive momen
broken the evil charm.
Lucian and Nell were sitting on tn
shaded side.porch one morning; sh
was busy with pretty trife of fanc,
work, and he was reading aloud. Mrs
Graham was in the kitchen makin
peach -marmalade; and Gretchen wa
sitting under tree in the yard, peelin
peaches, with many stolen glances, wit
novel concealed under her apron.
Suddenly Nell started up, threw dow
her fancy-work, stamped her little foe
impetuously, and said:
I'm not going to stand it any long
II IA "a. l.